Warning as new synthetic opioid 200 times stronger than heroin kills three users in days

Three deaths in the London borough of Camden within 10 days in November have been linked to a new synthetic opioid called cychlorphine, which is between 50 and 200 times stronger than heroin.

Questions have been raised over delays in local drug and alcohol services being told about the risk posed by cychlorphine, with frontline workers in neighbouring boroughs alerted about a police seizure days earlier.

Big Issue has also learned that police seized a supply of cychlorphine in Camden before 12 November, alongside another confiscation elsewhere in the capital.

“People are dying in Camden needlessly due to lack of information,” said Jon Glackin, co-ordinator of grassroots homelessness support organisation Streets Kitchen.

“We are shocked that, with so many needless deaths, there has been little to no public discussion surrounding these tragedies.”

Cychlorphine has also been linked to two deaths in the south east of England, including one in Kent in October, according to internal drug warnings seen by Big Issue.

The deaths in Camden had not been made public and it is believed those who died had a history of homelessness.

Drug and alcohol services in Hackney and Islington received alerts five days before Camden, on 12 November, containing news of the police seizure. Camden’s local drug information service then sent its own amber alert on 17 November.

Big Issue asked Camden Council and Change Grow Live, the drugs service sending the alerts, why the Camden warning – concerning events in the borough – was days later than alerts in neighbouring boroughs.

Local frontline services then received a red alert on 28 November with news of the deaths. It warned several doses of naloxone were needed to reverse overdoses. One homelessness service worker in Camden said this alert was the “first and only” time they’d heard of the drug.

Read more:

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Glackin said getting the Islington alert meant Streets Kitchen could prepare and get word out in Camden before the later warning was sent, “which in itself is a very dangerous situation. There’s been very little discussion about this.”

Glackin added: “It’s not been mentioned. We’re getting no updates from any sources, particularly in Camden. Why? It’s scary.

“We need an urgent, independent appraisal of all the existing systems in place in Camden to support those experiencing homelessness. We’re seeing the consequences of these systems failing on the streets of Camden far too often – they need to be addressed now to save lives.”

Cychlorphine adds to the threat of synthetic opioids contaminating drugs and claiming lives. Official figures show 271 people recorded as dying from nitazenes, another form of synthetic opioid, in England, Scotland and Wales in 2024 – though experts believe the true number to be much higher.

Many of those at risk are living in homelessness. In a bid to protect lives, the government has taken action including banning a range of synthetic opioids.

Big Issue has reported extensively on deaths from nitazenes. Our coverage of a cluster of 38 deaths in Birmingham laid bare how officials scrambled to respond, but public information lagged behind.

Cychlorphine has recently been found in Toronto, Canada, with the city’s drug checking service detecting the substance in pills bought as OxyContin, Percocet and Dilaudid.

Shayla Schlossenberg, head of drugs at Release, said they had expected to see cychlorphine emerge in the UK after a crackdown on precursor materials used to make nitazenes.

“It’s a classic prohibition story, you get rid of one thing and something more dangerous comes to fill the vacuum. The market doesn’t disappear overnight,” said Schlossenberg.

The lack of information has raised concerns that deaths are not being taken seriously, with doubts over circulating the information through services rather than publicly.

“We know that a massive group of people who are dying every year are not in touch with services,” Schlossberg said. “Yet our only way that you can get any of this intel is if you live in an area that happens to put out the alert, if you happen to be able to read the alert, and if you happen to be in that service at the right time.

“Some people’s lives are valued significantly more than others, and we see this time and time again.”

The drug alerts contained the following harm reduction advice:

Advice for people using drugs:

• Do not use alone
• Stagger use so that someone can respond in the event of an overdose
• Make sure someone in the group has naloxone
• If someone has overdosed, call 999 for an ambulance and administer naloxone

Signs of an overdose:

• Breathlessness or loss of consciousness
• Limp limbs
• Blueish tinge to lips and fingernails

If someone has overdosed – act quickly:

1. Dial 999 for an ambulance
2. Check if they are breathing
3. Put them in the recovery position
4. Administer Naloxone. Start with one dose. Wait a minute or two to see if normal breathing resumes
5. If it doesn’t, administer another dose of naloxone
6. Stay with them until the ambulance arrives

A spokesperson for Camden Council said: “Adulterated drug supply continues to be a national risk, and we are saddened that there have been three deaths in Camden as a result of this particular supply.

“Our drug and street outreach teams are working hard to support some of our most vulnerable residents, and we are continuing to work closely with the police and our partners to make sure those who need support can access it – including lifesaving medication, drop-in sessions in community venues, dedicated services for women, outreach prescriptions, one-to-one support with keyworkers and specialist support for those experiencing rough sleeping.”

Sundeep Thandi, Camden interim service manager for Change Grow Live, said: “We are deeply saddened by the recent tragic deaths in the Camden area, and our heartfelt condolences go out to the families, friends and communities who have been affected. 

“In response to these tragic deaths, we have taken further steps to strengthen our support for the community by issuing specific alerts to those who may come into contact with individuals who use substances. This includes Mental Health teams, hostel staff, primary care providers, and other healthcare settings across the borough.”

Do you know more about this story? Email Big Issue reporter greg.barradale@bigissue.com

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